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Over recent months, the success of blockchain-driven cryptocurrencies has paved the way for a second wave of digital opportunities – namely, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and influencer stocks.
For those less familiar, “non-fungible” means unique and non-interchangeable, while a “token” lives on a blockchain. You can think of an NFT like a one-of-a-kind collector’s item – only digital. In short, investing in an NFT provides a blockchain-recorded certificate of authenticity for a digital asset – whether it’s music, a video, or an artwork. But what’s interesting about NFTs is that they challenge the concept of asset ownership. Because when an investor buys an NFT, they don’t own the asset itself – rather, they just own the token and record of ownership registered on a blockchain digital ledger (which they can sell). Regardless, this hasn’t stopped the popularity of NFTs, whose novelty has created a new medium for collectors and a lucrative monetisation opportunity for artists. In the same vein as NFTs, sports fans can access the NBA Top Shot platform, which allows users to buy, sell and trade NBA “moments” or card-like “packs”. One LeBron James moment sold for USD $208,000.
Investors have also begun accessing another kind of token – one whose value is based on the popularity of public figures. As a crypto social network that monetises celebrities, BitClout allows investors to assign monetary value to public figures by buying Creator Coins which fluctuate in value depending on the popularity of their profiles on the platform. In turn, public figures who “claim” their BitClout profiles (thereby showing their support) are entitled to a share of the profits. However, BitClout has raised some concerns among cryptocurrency specialists. For one, the platform has capitalised on celebrity profiles without their consent. And while investors can transfer funds into the platform, there’s currently no way for them to withdraw them, leading some to question its legitimacy. Wouldn’t be the first time, though, as investors experienced with BitConnect – a Bitcoin investing platform labelled a Ponzi scheme for its pyramid structure and aggressive marketing strategy promising big, fast profits before shutting down its lending and exchange services.

domain: news


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January 21, 2010: With just three weeks to go until the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the board of directors of the Vancouver Organizing Committee met for the final time and gave the Games a seal of approval, proclaiming, "The project remains on target to finish with a balanced budget."
However, the board said that some venues are still to be completed, traffic in downtown could be a concern and tickets to events still remain unsold.
Also being closely watch is the weather. the board said that "after days of unseasonably warm and wet weather," VANOC and Cypress Mountain management agreed to close the ski resort’s alpine runs to the public and that workers on site are monitoring the situation "24 hours a day to preserve and protect the integrity of the snowboard and freestyle skiing courses."
VANOC said that its overlay teams have not finished the "complex process of making Games venues ready for the world’s top winter athletes and spectators." Construction of temporary structures, such as bleachers and tents, and dining halls for the athletes and other structures in the city are still being worked on.
Regarding traffic conditions, VANOC admitted that "there is more work to be done to encourage drivers who frequently travel by car in downtown Vancouver to start practicing their Games-time travel plans." City planners and VANOC have been temporarily closing streets in the city to prepare locals for conditions to come. VANOC is encouraging all spectators to buy tickets for the Olympic Bus Network "as there is no public parking at any of the Games venues and daily traffic restrictions" will be in place. To date, only 50% of tickets available on the OBN have been sold.
VANOC also said that tickets for certain unspecified events were still available and encouraged fans to visit www.Vancouver2010.com/tickets.
Selling much better is licensed merchandise. VANOC said that the Vancouver 2010 red mittens "continue to be a hot item beyond expectations [with] more than 1.8 million pairs sold since the launch last fall. Inventory has been added in advance of the Games." In addition, more than 725,000 units of plush mascots have been sold to date, according to VANOC.
“The board is confident the organizing committee and its partners are well prepared to meet the extraordinary day-to-day challenges of hosting one of the largest international sporting events,” board chairman Rusty Goepel said in a statement. “Many hurdles have been overcome in the past few months —both with ingenuity and a lot of long hours by dedicated staff, contractors and volunteers, which will make all Canadians proud.”
Added John Furlong, CEO of VANOC, “It’s been a remarkable journey up to this point and we take a moment now and again . . . to enjoy the moment but then it’s back to work as our team continues to work around the clock to make sure every detail is tended to."
2010 Winter Olympics IOC Worldwide Partners: Coca-Cola,. ACER, Atos Origin, General Electric, McDonald's, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung, Visa
2010 Winter Olympics National Partners: Bell, Hudson's Bay, RBC, GM Canada, Petro Canada, RONA
2010 Winter Olympics Official Supporters: Air Canada, BC Hydro, Bombardier, British Columbia Lottery, Canadian Pacific, ICBC, Jet Set Sports, Ricoh Canada, Royal Canadian Mint, Teck
2010 Winter Olympics Official Suppliers: 3M Canada, Acklands-Grainger, Aggreki, Alda Pharmaceuticals, Aquilini Investment Group, Birks, Britco, Canada Post, Cold-FX, Deloitte, Dow Canada, Epcor, Garrett Metal Detectors, General Mills, Hain Celestial Canada, Haworth, Jackson-Triggs, Karl's Global Events, Milennium Development, Molson, Nike Canada, Nortal, Offsetters, Port Metro Vancouver, Purolator Courier, Saputo, Sleep Country Canada, Sun Microsystems Canada, Tickets.com, TransCanada, Vancouver Airport Authority, Weston Bakeries, Workopolis, Wrigley Canada.
2010 Winter Olympics Official Media Suppliers: Canwest Publishing, The Globe and Mail, La Presse


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Consumers with less than perfect credit are increasingly being approved for auto loans. According to Experian Automotive, auto loans to consumers with nonprime, subprime and deep-subprime credit ratings accounted for 24.84 percent of loans issued for new cars, and 54.43 percent for used ones at the end of September 2012.
This is great news for subprime shoppers who want to head back to the new and used auto marketplace. And, lenders making these riskier loans to subprime shoppers reported that instances of late payments continue to fall. It has been a win-win situation for lenders and borrowers as the report showed short-term, 30-day delinquencies slid to just 2.78 percent of all balances, down from 2.81 percent on an annual basis.
Longer-term 60-day delinquencies also fell to 0.71 percent of loans from 0.74 percent. Quarterly repossession rates for banks, credit unions, and finance companies also fell, with finance companies showing the sharpest decline, dropping from 2.36 percent in the third quarter of 2011 to 1.18 percent in the same quarter in 2012.
“With leasing showing a continued upward trend, and lenders increasing their appetite for risk, consumers were in a good position to obtain a vehicle during Q3,” said Melinda Zabritski, director of automotive credit at Experian Automotive. “Expanding loans to lower-risk tiers opens the market for more car shoppers, while an increase in leasing means it is easier for consumers to get more vehicle for a lower monthly payment. Both of these trends are positive signs of a strong and recovering auto finance market, which ultimately benefits the consumer and the entire auto industry.”
Additionally, the report showed the average consumer credit score needed for new vehicle financing was 755, down from the 763 observed in the same quarter last year. Likewise, the average consumer credit score needed for used vehicle financing fell by eight points to 668, down from 676 in the same quarter last year.
Another interesting finding was that credit unions now have 18.22 percent of the overall automotive loan market, while finance companies grew to 13.29 percent. Banks still have the highest market share at 40.98 percent, but they had a market share decline of 2.9 percent from the third quarter of 2011 to the third quarter of 2012. Get your free credit score and see if you meet the requirements. If you are looking to improve your credit score for 2013, rebuilding your credit with a car loan; if you can afford it, can definitely help. Installment loans such as a car loan adds to your mix of credit which accounts for 10% of your credit score.


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Here’s a number – 2,000. That’s how many donors we need this fall to stay on track. Can we count on you?
‘Chicken feed’ loses meaning
We may just need to find a different adjective to describe the least expensive thing money can buy after Tyson Foods announced this morning that chicken feed no longer costs, well, chicken feed.
The largest meatpacker in the U.S. reported a 54 percent decline in fourth-quarter profits and blamed it largely on the high cost of grain, the central ingredient in a chicken’s diet. The result will be a reduction in the number of chickens raised by the company in 2012 and a subsequent increase in price.
On its face, this news seems like nothing to crow at (sorry, had to use it). I mean, we Americans spend a fraction of our income on food compared with the vast majority of the world’s population, so who cares if the chicken breasts you’re buying for dinner cost an extra buck or so? Many won’t even register the difference on the checkout line.
But Tyson’s announcement is a glimpse at the tip of an economic iceberg. Weather patterns have become less predictable, as evidenced not just in the record-setting high temperatures that broiled the U.S. this past summer, but also in severe drought conditions and subsequent out-of-control fires in the world’s other wheat-growing superpower, Russia, this past growing season. This has prompted nations to scramble to stockpile the dietary staples necessary to feed booming populations.
Regardless of the cause, higher grain prices are going to inflate your grocery bill no matter which animal-based protein you put on the dinner table, and the sad reality is that we may just need to find a new expression to replace “chicken feed” when we’re trying to describe things so cheap we scatter them in barnyards.
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HMC Announces Strategic Excellence Awards Jury
Judges Represent Client, Media, Digital and Creative Sectors
Fairfax, Va. (April 26, 2021) – The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) announced the jury for the HMC Strategic Excellence Awards, the only award of its kind that honors multicultural strategic thinking and cultural competence in marketing. Led by jury president Maurice Cooper, senior VP of marketing at Target, the roster features executives representing Hispanic marketing, media and digital agencies, as well as key client leaders.
The full panel of judges includes:
- Maurice Cooper, senior VP, Guest and Brand Experience marketing at Target and president of the jury
- Carmen Barker, global senior brand manager, VASELINE at Unilever
- Tachea Corbett, group strategy director, the community
- Roberto Hernández, director social & digital strategy, Dieste, Inc.
- Claudia Oddo, audience marketing, Pandora
- Jennifer Woods, managing director-VP insights & strategy, Captura Group
“The HMC Strategic Excellence Awards exclusively honors the strategic craft of unearthing cultural insights to inspire meaningful advertising campaigns and engagement plans,” said Victor Paredes, chair of the HMC Strategic Excellence Awards Committee and VP of creative strategy at UniWorld Group, Inc. “These awards fuel our industry and differentiate our valuable expertise in today’s marketplace. With the multicultural majority on the rise—already a reality for those 18-and-under, culturally-relevant insights coupled with higher multicultural marketing investment is a fundamental business imperative.”
Open to U.S.-based agencies whose media has run since January 2020, the HMC Strategic Excellence Awards feature a simple submission process similar to that of Cannes and FIAP. There are six categories that will be judged: Best Cultural Insight, Mainstream Impact, Impact on Innovation, Pro-Bono, Shopper & Experiential Excellence and Media Connections & Content Strategy Excellence.
Click here to apply for the 2021 HMC Strategic Excellence Awards—deadline to enter is May 7, 2021 at 5pm EDT. The winners will be announced in June 2021 and featured as part of a series of thought leadership webinars.
About HMC: Founded in 1996 as the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, the Hispanic Marketing Council is the national trade organization of all marketing, communications, and media firms with trusted Hispanic expertise.


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Taiwanese tech major Asus on Thursday said it aims to hold 18 per cent share of the consumer notebook market in India by the end of 2020 as it expands its product portfolio in the country.
The company, which has been aggressively expanding its online as well as offline presence in the country, on Thursday, unveiled its new line up of laptops featuring a secondary touchscreen.
“We currently have a market share of around 11 per cent… We are targeting 18 per cent share of the consumer notebook segment by the end of 2020,” Asus India Head of Consumer Notebooks and ROG Business Arnold Su told PTI.
He added that within the consumer segment, it is witnessing strong growth in the thin and light category (laptops weighing under 2 kgs with thickness less than 20mm) and gaming notebooks.
The personal computer (PC) market in India saw the shipment of desktop, notebook and workstations grow 49.2 per cent year-on-year to 3.4 million units in the June 2019 quarter, driven primarily by the commercial segment, according to research firm IDC.
While the consumer PC market had declined 14 per cent as compared to the year-ago period in the said quarter, the gaming PC segment grew 41.1 per cent and continues to be one bright spot in the struggling consumer PC market, IDC had said.
Su said the company has been witnessing strong growth in the ongoing festive season across online and offline channels.
Asus on Thursday launched its new ZenBook Pro Duo and ZenBook Duo laptops, priced Rs 84,990 onwards.
Su said the notebooks are aimed at content creators and people looking for high-performance devices.
“With the launch of dual-screen laptops, we are paving the way for the industry’s future. The latest offerings by the brand is going to empower India’s creative individuals – content creators, editors, in addition to passionate gamers and corporate clan, to de-clutter from myriad screens and unlock efficiencies through a singular, integrated offering,” he added.


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Consumer and business spending on the virtual personal assistant-enabled wireless speaker market is forecast to reach US$3.52 billion by 2021, up from US$0.72 billion in 2016, according to a new global report.
Hosted voice and data communications services provider MyNetFone has launched an advanced call analytics and visualisation tool — Precision Analytics — aimed at helping enterprises and government organisations make use of the big data generated by their organisation’s telephone call patterns.
Blue Coat Systems, a leading provider of advanced Web security solutions for global enterprises and governments, today announced significant enhancements to its Security Analytics solution, including the addition of anomaly detection, an alerts dashboard and support for SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) environments, to provide more effective and actionable incident response.
This is an unbearably good headline :-)
Great Stuff Sam - I wish this could go out to a larger audience.
5G will save us, and the NBN will have to be redone anyway.
As always, a great article Sam.
I will never forgive him.


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OK, it wasn’t a surprise to find this in my email today, there were plenty of signs. But it is interesting for a number of reasons. One: Adobe is coming. That means these phones will likely feature Flash. Therefore, Android 2.2 may be included on these phones, because it includes the ability to play Adobe’s Flash. At least I am assuming so – even though current test versions seem to carry 2.1.
Also, this event comes one day before you can get your hands on an iPhone. Perhaps the four companies are trying to steal away some of the splash behind the iPhone launch (they’d be hard pressed to beat AT&T to take the prize in that contest).
Finally, with all of the big guys here (Rubin, Narayen, Jha), it would seem that there is going to be some wow factor to this one. 720P display? Media Center? GoogleTV tie-ins?


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Austmine has launched an initiative to help regional Western Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies increase their digital mining capabilities and global competitiveness.
The METS Digital Mining Export Hub initiative will bring together regional METS companies and connect them into those based in Perth to build export skills and identify global market opportunities.
The Western Australian Government has committed $400,000 to the launch of the virtual export hub through Invest and Trade WA.
Austmine stated that the hub would address COVID-19’s acceleration of digitalisation in mining by giving hub members access to digital developments and strategic insights.
The launch of the virtual hub featured outreach activities to engage with the 1700 METS companies located in different parts of Western Australia, including Perth, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Newman, Karratha and Port Hedland.
Activities planned under the new initiative include mapping the METS capabilities of small and medium enterprises in Western Australia; developing Austmine’s export strategy; capability development programs; and promoting the state’s METS sector to the rest of the world.
Western Australian Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston on Friday launched the inaugural digital export hub in Port Hedland, which he said would help build export capacity, knowledge and opportunities between regional, remote and metropolitan small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
“Today’s launch of Austmine’s WA METS Digital Mining Export Hub is groundbreaking for the local METS sector, and a fantastic result for Western Australia,” he said.
“Western Australia’s mining technology is world-leading, and the hub will enable these local companies to provide their services across the globe.
“The export hub will not only be vital in supporting the state’s recovery, post-COVID-19, but will also be a boost to jobs and our local economies.”
The virtual hub will initially provide services in Port Hedland, Karratha, Newman, Kalgoorlie and Bunbury.
METS businesses contributed around $27 billion to the Western Australia economy in 2018-19.


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Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) said it plans to launch an app for Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad on Monday which will allow subscribers to control its Hopper multiroom DVR, and receive recommendations for programs based on real-time trends.
The Explorer app for iPad. (Image source: Dish)
Its Explorer app incorporates Thurz ratings, which pick the hottest live sporting events, and deliver real-time sports stats. Dish said the app suggests TV shows and movies to subscribers by relying on data collected from social networks and viewing data collected from set-tops in Dish subscriber homes. It also allows subscribers to log into Facebook and Twitter, and track posts related to the programs they are watching.
The app could help Dish compete against DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV), Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and other pay TV providers that have developed similar apps for the iPad, iPhone and mobile devices that run Google's Android platform. Dish said the Explorer app connects to the Hopper via a WiFi connection.
- see the release
2012 Year in Review: Program guides get smarter
Comcast adding voice controls to X1 Remote apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
DirecTV integrates BuddyTV with program guide
AT&T bulks up U-verse TV iPad and iPhone apps


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Microsoft was planning to roll out the Windows 10 mobile upgrades to the Windows Phone 8.1 devices in December, but the users will need to wait until early 2016 to upgrade to the latest OS version. As you know, Windows 10 mobile came installed on the Lumia 950 and 950 XL devices that have been released in November and Microsoft has promised that soon enough, the rest of Windows Phone 8.1 devices will receive the upgrades.
Microsoft’s plans have changed, because recently, a spokesperson told ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley that “The Windows 10 Mobile upgrade will begin rolling out early next year to select existing Windows 8 and 8.1 phones”, but this isn’t a big problem, because the company has achieved an important goal in December: all computers and phones registered on the Insider program have received the latest Windows 10 build and the users receive synchronized updates, at the same time, on both their PCs and mobile device running on Windows 10.
Microsoft has also provided a list of Lumia devices that are programmed to get the Windows 10 update: 430, 435, 532, 535, 540, 635 (1GB RAM), 640, 640 XL, 735, 830 and 930. More devices will follow, but they will need to meet the requirements: to have an internal memory of at least 8GB, because otherwise, they won’t be able to handle Windows 10.
Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL?
However, in case you want to buy one of the new Lumia devices, then here are their specs: the smaller variant measures 145 x 73.2 x 8.2 mm, it weights 150 grams and has a large circular rear camera on the back of 20MP (using PureView technology, Carl Zeiss optics, OIS, autofocus, triple-LED RGB flash and which is capable of recording 4K videos), while on the front side sits a 5MP camera with an aperture of f/2.4. The screen measures 5.2-inch and its resolution is 1440 x 2560 pixels at 564ppi. This model is powered by the weaker Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 hexa core cocked at 1.82GHz, being backed by 3GB of RAM. The users can add a microSD card and increase the internal memory from 32GB to 200GB, or talk on 3G for 18 hours thanks to the 3000mAh battery.
The Lumia 950 XL phablet has the same pair of cameras, but its processor is much faster, as Microsoft has used the latest Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 octa core CPU clocked at 2GHz, which runs with 3GB of RAM. Also, the screen measures 5.7-inch and it supports also a QHD resolution, but the pixel density is lower at 518ppi. The battery has a capacity of 3340 mAh and it offers an extra hour of talk time.


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Good Technology, which specializes in secure mobility, has announced key findings from the "Q3 2014 Good Mobility Index Report" (http://tinyurl.com/muccoz4). This quarter, the rise in custom app development catapulted this category from the fourth most activated app category to number one on the Good Dynamics Secure Mobility Platform.
This quarter, Apple's iOS reversed its decline in activations from quarter two, picking up two percentage points, representing 69% of all activations. The release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus accounted for this gain. Additionally, the report findings showed that iPhone 6 outpaced iPhone 6 Plus in its first partial month, representing 85% of these new devices to be activated.
This quarter’s Mobility Index Report confirms enterprises are moving to secure app-to-app workflows, enabling organizations to transform their businesses, while protecting sensitive...| Read more »


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TUI Aphrodite Hills announcement ‘premature’
Thomson’s rebranding the Aphrodite Hills Resort has not yet been confirmed and was a ‘premature’ announcement, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has said.
The hotel company has issued a statement regarding the Cyprus resort after Thomson announced on Saturday it will rebrand the resort under its Sensatori name ready for summer 2015.
Despite the announcement, IHG said talks are still in progress with TUI and no conclusive agreement has been reached.
A statement from IHG said: “As Aphrodite Hills Resort and TUI continue talks we wish to stress that no conclusive agreement has been reached, hence the reason that no official announcement has been made by either Aphrodite Hills or IHG to this respect.
“The mention of Aphrodite Hills in the TUI press release is in our opinion, premature. Our aim is that these discussions to be concluded within the next few weeks, during with TUI will not be able to offer this product for sale in their new summer brochure or the web.”
TUI’s summer 2015 programme will go on sale on 24 April, only nine days away.
The release from IHG continued: “In the meantime sales for the InterContinental Aphrodite Hills Resort Hotel continue to grow, with sales increasing year on year. Until these discussions are finally concluded the operation of the InterContinental Hotel will remain as normal throughout the year and will continue to serve the UK market with our worldwide renowned high standards, ensuring customer enjoy a unique and fantastic experience. For Aphrodite Hills Resort, it is business as usual.”


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Apple products in Vt. promotion
in Vt. promotion
MONTPELIER — Visitors to 20 of Vermont’s pick-your-own apple orchards will get a chance to win an iPod.
The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing is again co-sponsoring an apple-season promotion in which 19 specially marked wooden “apples” are being hidden in pick-your-own orchards around the state.
Whoever finds them wins an Apple iPod. One of the winners will get an iPad.
For a list of participating orchards, visit www.applestoipods.com.


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According to a new league table published by Ofgem, Utility Warehouse and Scottish and Southern Electricity (SSE) have the highest proportion of customers stuck on a standard variable tariff, with 94% of Utility Warehouse customers and 91% of SSE customers on a standard variable tariff. British Gas and E.On were next in line with 74% and 73% respectively, followed by Npower at 59% and EDF Energy at 56%.
The energy suppliers with the smallest proportion of customers on a standard tariff were Extra Energy with 14%, and and First Utility with 9%.
SSE’s 3,864,044 customers on a standard variable tariff customers pay on average £98 more per year than a customer on SSE’s cheapest tariff. At £1,068 per year, SSE’s standard variable tariff is £198 more expensive per year than the average of the cheapest tariffs from the 10 cheapest suppliers.
Utility Warehouse’s 503,955 customer’s on a standard variable tariff pay £150 compared to those on its cheapest tariff, and £143 more than the average of the 10 cheapest tariffs available across all suppliers.
Npowers standard variable customers paid the highest premium, with customers on the tariff paying £261 extra per year compared to those on the company’s cheapest tariff. Although 73% of E.On’s customers are on its standard variable tariff, those customers pay just £43 per year extra than those on its cheapest tariff – but still £187 more than the the average of the 10 cheapest tariffs available across all suppliers.
Extra Energy’s 36,641 standard variable customers paid the highest premium compared to the average of the 10 cheapest suppliers – £260 – closely followed by Co-operative Energy’s 96,158 customers on a standard variable tariff, who paid £252 more than the cheapest average tariff.
Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “This league table will lift the lid on the price difference between standard tariffs and cheaper deals, helping those customers who are currently paying over the odds for their gas and electricity identify a better rate. We’d also like to see energy companies do more off their own back to help customers who are on a low income, like moving them to a cheaper deal.”
The league table was published by Ofgem as part of its new measures to increase transparency around tariffs help more households benefit from the UK’s competitive energy market. It only compared suppliers with more than 250,000 customer accounts and excluded suppliers who have more than 90% of their customers on prepayment meters.
|Supplier||Number of customer accounts on standard variable tariffs||Proportion of customer base on standard variable tariffs (%)||Average annual cost of a standard variable tariff (£)||Difference between a supplier’s standard variable tariff and its cheapest tariff (£)||Difference between a standard variable tariff and the average of the cheapest tariffs from the 10 cheapest suppliers (£)|
These figures represent a typical dual fuel customer paying by direct debit and with typical consumption. Prices correct as at 28 November 2016. The potential savings figures are only indicative.
At the same time, the government published a call for evidence on how to share customers’ data (with their consent), from a company system to a third party or price comparison website. The call for evidence is open until 10 February 2017.
Not a subscriber? To see if you qualify for our next FREE TRIAL send your name, job title, and telephone number to [email protected]


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Seven Months after devastating fire, Classic and Rattler Ropes are back producing
After nearly seven months of rebuilding what was left of the rope factory burnt to ashes, Classic and Rattler ropes took rope orders from retail partners for the first time on Monday, June 20.
On Nov. 30, 2015 at 4:00 a.m. a fire started and destroyed the 70,000-square-foot rope manufacturing facility despite the efforts of nearly 50 firefighters. The fire goes on record as being one of the largest in Hood County’s history and thankfully there were no injuries. While the ashes were still smoldering, plans were implemented for the rebuilding process. All 74 employees of the facility were promised no loss in wages, and the mass clean up began. After a thorough investigation of what started fire, the Hood County Fire Marshall deemed the results inconclusive.
By January of 2016, string and fiber production commenced in the only structure on the property that did not burn and shortly after, the fabrication team began working on the production of the first and only ones of its kind rope machines. At the end of March, down from the count of eight, two machines were fully operational and prototypes were developed and tested by a select group of professional ropers. Even through this devastating castrophe, Equibrand is very thankful for the support of the consumers, retailers, professionals, and industry partners.
Ken Bray, CEO of Equibrand, said, “We are humbled by the outpouring of support from our customers and industry partners. We understand our responsibility is to exceed expectation.”
On Monday, June 20, 2016 the first rope orders to retail partners were made for the first time since the fire. Quantities and selection of only Heats and GT4’s were limited at time of purchase. The machines are running day and night to get production back up and crews are working tirelessly to get the remaining machines built to get stock back in every rope. This is just the first phase of the Firestorm.
Equibrand is a holding company for several premium branded products in the western performances equestrian industry.
Hannah Haugen, Public Relations Coordinator
800-654-7864 ext. 4143


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mr_sifter writes: With its SB710/SB750 chipset, AMD allowed users to use core unlocking, to turn a triple-core Phenom into a quad-core model. The company cancelled the feature with its new SB850 series, but the industrious motherboard manufacturers of Taiwan aren't about to let that stop them — we take a look at how Asus, Gigabyte and MSI have worked around AMD's designs and re-introduced core unlocking.
The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite
of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.
-- Niels Bohr


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While Nintendo's 3DS was the talk of the town a few weeks ago, it appears that interest in the console is giving way. Media Create has looked at a few sales results that show that despite Nintendo gearing being hyped to the stars, Sony are dominating the software sales.
Half of the top twenty selling titles for the week were on Sony's platforms, and ten were on Nintendo's. However eight of Sony's titles were in the top ten.
Games for the Nintendo 3DS are not a major feature. There is Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask and... er... that's it. While Samurai Warriors Chronicle is doing OK, the other launch games are not selling.
It is all starting to look doom laden for Nintendo, which was hoping to pick up sales that it is losing now that its Wii is getting so old it that its 1980's Amiga style graphics are starting to show their age.


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The world’s most powerful ad man is sitting in a meeting room in the group’s understated three-storey townhouse headquarters in Mayfair. From here, Sorrell oversees an advertising, marketing, communications and research network that employs 99,000 people across the world spanning over 200 subsidiaries, including some of the most famous names in the business, such as JWT, Ogilvy & Mather, Young & Rubicam and PR outfit Finsbury.
He invested in a shell company after leaving another advertising firm, Saatchi & Saatchi (where he was finance director) in 1985, buying into £1m-rated supermarket trolley maker Wire & Plastic Products. The move might have seemed strange but he used the firm as a vehicle to build an empire entirely from scratch, spending the last 25 years masterminding an endless series of swashbuckling acquisitions, which in the early days saw him make bids for firms far bigger than his.
Right from the start, Sorrell understood that top advertisers such as Procter & Gamble, HSBC, Vodafone and Ford want to deal with larger, powerful agencies with the clout to bargain hard with media owners worldwide. This intuition has paid off spectacularly for Sorrell – though in a touch of nostalgia, his firm, a FTSE 100 giant with a market valuation of £8.8bn, still makes wire baskets.
But it has not been all good times for Sorrell. The firm almost went bust in 1991 after paying $864m (£570m) for Ogilvy & Mather two years earlier, which coincided with the early 1990s recession and left it overextended with its banks. It took two years, two restructurings, and Sorrell at his most nimble, before the firm climbed out of the hole it had got itself into. Yet Sorrell is quick to point out that “WPP never missed an interest payment.”
However, Sorrell, clever and pugnacious, is just warming to his theme about the current downturn. He continues: “You can only cut costs for a limited period of time. Anybody can cut costs. The issue is how you build revenues.” He clenches his fist and adds: “Firms have to build brands, you have to earn the right to charge a premium.”
However, even in this recovery period many firms remain more concerned about staying in business rather than charging premium prices for their products or services. As Sorrell knows only too well – after entering the FTSE 100 in 1994, he is now the index’s longest serving boss – in times of crisis it is always a firm’s ad budget that gets cut first.
WPP witnessed the effect of corporate cost cutting on its 2009 results, which saw pre-tax profits fall 11 per cent to £663m, even though sales rose 16 per cent to £8.7bn. Sorrell described the year as “brutal” and was forced to cut 14,000 staff.
Around 60 per cent of the firm’s sales come from marketing services – predominantly research, which accounted for £2.6bn in revenues last year – but also from areas such as public relations and design. Just over 35 per cent of its sales come from the US. Sorrell holds a 1.34 per cent stake in the business, worth £118m.
Sorrell sees 2010 as a stable year for the ad market, with the UK general election, the June World Cup in South Africa, the US mid-terms in November and the Asian games in China the same month set to boost advertising spending globally.
For the UK the most important thing is “what happens after the general election.” He adds: “Whoever wins the election decisions are going to have to be made. And people who run businesses are fed up of waiting.”
The UK has run up a crippling budget deficit of £178bn. Sorrell says: “We all know there are going to be public spending cuts and tax rises. But we want to know where they will fall. I would prefer to see indirect taxes rise, like Vat, going up to something like 20 per cent [from the current 17.5 per cent].”
He says this prolonged political hiatus is also putting London and the City out on a limb. He says: “Uncertainty about tax rates, company as well as personal, puts London as a financial centre at a disadvantage. Human capital has never been more mobile – and that is a risk. I hope London does not blow it, though it is a worry that we will.” However, Sorrell made his own mind up about the UK’s tax system some time ago, registering the firm in Dublin in 2008 for tax reasons.
WPP is the leading advertiser in China with a 15 per cent market share, but despite Rio Tinto seeing four of its executives jailed for taking bribes, and Google pulling out of the communist state because it refused to continue to censor its Chinese web pages, Sorrell continues to be upbeat about the region.
He says: “We have not had any significant issues with the Chinese. Maybe that is because we are not as important to the security of the country as Google or Rio Tinto. You have to look at China through a Chinese lens. I have always found Chinese regulatory authorities willing to listen and learn. But you have to work within the Chinese framework. Firms have to explain the benefits of globalisation and not get into a protectionist fight with the Chinese.”
However, Sorrell will keep a watchful eye on the growth of Google, and has no problem with EU moves to look at – and possibly curtail – the US web giant’s European influence. He says: “Google is the biggest media owner in the UK. Bigger than ITV. Google is going direct to our clients and offering to write ads and book media space for them. It is trying to eliminate us as the middle man.”
He welcomes the closer tie up between Microsoft and Yahoo to rival Google: “Clients want a more balanced market.”
Closer to home Sorrell seems pretty sanguine about the new team at ITV, with Archie Norman as chairman and incoming chief executive Adam Crozier. He says: “Archie Norman, seems to have set out much of the ground before Adam Crozier arrives there. But ITV’s agenda is not radically different from [former executive chairman] Michael Grade’s who invested in quality programming and listened to advertisers’ needs. In value terms, ITV is a bit of a bargain relative to competing media. Prices have gone down to what they were five to ten years ago.”
At 65, Sorrell shows no signs of slowing down. He is said to still regularly start his working day at 6.00am. Two excellent candidates, Ogilvy & Mather chairman Shelly Lazarus and media buying agency Mindshare chief executive Dominic Proctor, are often named as potential internal successors – but in truth they are the latest in a long line of names who have come in and out of favour over the 25 years Sorrell has run the business.
Some say it will be difficult to find a successor with Sorrell’s understanding of the ad business as well as his talent for financial engineering. Others add it would be hard for the person after Sorrell to make their mark as all the major consolidation in the industry has been completed over the last 20 years.
None of these concerns bother Sorrell in the slightest. He says: “I’m enjoying myself more than I ever have done. I am happy to do the job until the board taps me on the shoulder and tells me it is time for someone else to have a go.”
Meanwhile, Sorrell is very much concerned with the here and now of the business. He says: “I’m a micromanager, and unashamedly so. What’s going on inside the business is important. If you withdraw yourself from that, it is very hard to get back into it.” On that note, Sorrell, a BlackBerry adict, makes his goodbyes and heads to his next meeting; after an hour talking to us, he is anxious to “get back into it.” One thing is sure: there is no stopping him.
CV | SIR MARTIN SORRELL
Work: 1968-69 Glendinning Associates; 1970-74, worked for Mark McCormack, who founded sports agency IMG; 1975-77 personal adviser to food entrepreneur James Gulliver; 1977-85, Saatchi & Saatchi; 1985, invested in WPP, became chief executive a year later
Education: Christ’s College Cambridge read economics; Harvard, MBA
Family: Married to his second wife, three sons from his previous marriage
Lives: Lives between London and New York
Hobbies: Skiing, sailing, cricket


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Peter Pan Bistro treads the line between Queen Street’s past and a digital future Chef Noah Goldberg managed to clinch one of his dream spots for a restaurant, re-establishing the decades old establishment Peter Pan bistro in the heart of Queen West. Now his greatest challenge is preserving the past while embracing the future.
When Noah Goldberg returned overseas from his understudy in the renowned London kitchens of Wild Honey and St. John he had a shortlist of Toronto spaces in mind. Peter Pan bistro at the corner of Peter and Queen sat near the top.
“There are three or four spaces I dreamt about when I was moving back and was like if I could ever grab one of those locations...” says Chef Noah Goldberg.
“You can’t get rooms like this in Toronto, it needed to be preserved,” says the entrepreneur pointing out all the original elements – the tin ceiling, the moulding, the bar top, the bar back – all of it heirlooms to the days when this section of the city was, quite literally, Toronto. “It’s basically got a 2016 body with an 1890 shell.”
It’s been a two and a half years since Noah took over the space and a year and a half since Peter Pan Bistro was officially “re-established”– the apex of the chef’s 12 year career that has taken him from the kitchens of Susur
Lee in Toronto to working under Chef Daniel Boulud in New York and across the Atlantic to the U.K.
But while Toronto’s foodie environment begs certain forgetfulness amongst diners, a constantly mutating form with new eateries spiking out haphazardly in all neighbourhoods, Noah wanted something rooted in history.
Peter Pan Bistro has proved to be the perfect conduit, but Noah doesn’t plan on standing still.
“I think restaurants are living things, I think it’s hard to start with a restaurant in its natural form and make it profitable, it’s a lot of adjusting and working,” he admits. “ think that I completely underestimated the digital end of that – just the kinds of hats I would wear in here...that was sort of neglected.”
He points out that while the digital side has proved to be a lot of work, it’s a critical component of the business.
“It’s a job that needs to be taken seriously, it’s not just a sub-job for someone to do and jump on, it has to be a choreographed thing,” says Noah.
While the backend transactional side is still a mix of paperwork and cloud services, he’s focused his efforts on the frontend digital components using YP Dine, the Yellow Pages-run infrastructure – to host the website and keep the online elements in check. It also helps them keep the online menu consistent with what they’re offering. They have used loyalty programs in the past through Bookenda but the system is being updated by YP currently. The website is plugged into Google Analytics to get an idea of how visitors are finding and using the site.
But it’s social media that has proven to be one of the restaurant’s greatest digital assets.
“When I did my pop up and I talked about the idea of opening a restaurant for six months on the second floor of a bar with no storefront,” he says. “50 years ago people only knew you by walking by your store looking in your window and figuring out who you were –now you can be cooking out of a backyard fire pit or wherever you want to be and still get your voice out to a targeted group of people that are going to want to come.”
And it’s through this digital lens that Noah is able to preserve the past while still looking forward.
“I think it’s important to have a clear strategy when you’re starting and understanding the brand you want to project and what you want people to see and be targeted towards that and organized, ” he says. “It’s not a very difficult thing to execute, it’s just a matter of staying on brand and understanding what you’re try to do.”
Toronto, ON — One of Toronto’s trendiest shopping destinations, West Queen West (WQW) between Bathurst and Gladstone, is set to launch Toronto’s first Neighbourhood e-Gift Card program on November 2nd. The WQW e-Gift Card provides shoppers with a more local alternative rather than a mall gift card or big box chains.
How it works: shoppers can purchase an e-gift card from the WQW website and send it by email, text, or Facebook Message. The gift card is redeemable at a variety of local WQW restaurants, cafes, spas, salons, retailers, and specialty shops.
Some of the places you can use The WQW e-Gift Card include Downward Dog Yoga Centre, Gladstone Hotel, Jacob and Sebastian, Mini Mioche, Morba, Smoque N' Bones and many other local favorites. A full list of participating businesses can be found on the WQW website and can also be spotted with a WQW e-Gift Card sticker in their window.
The WQW Gift Card program was created in partnership between Toronto startup AnyCard, the WQW BIA, and local businesses. When asked about this exciting initiative, Chad Molleken, Co-Founder and CEO of AnyCard, stated, “We want to be a champion for local businesses by providing them with innovative ways to compete with the big guys. A neighbourhood gift card is one of the ways we do that.”
Rob Sysak, Executive Director of the WQW BIA, noted, "We are really excited to be the first neighbourhood in Toronto to have our own e-Gift Card. WQW knows that for us to continue to be successful, WQW needs to act like big business, and digital technologies like the e-Gift Card will make that happen. Big thank you to AnyCard!"
To help kick off the program, the WQW BIA will be giving away a $100 WQW Gift Card every Friday until mid-December and one grand prize of a $1000 shopping spree before Christmas. To learn more about the WQW contests and to enter for your chance to win please visit westqueenwest.ca/2016-giveaway/
Executive Director, WQW BIA
Marketing Manager, AnyCard
1 (888) 367-8448
Here is a preview of the first 60 WQW e-Gift Card participating businesses with many more to come.
Chippy's Fish and Chips
Downward Dog Yoga Centre
Greek & Co
Iceman Video Games
Jacob and Sebastian
La Hacienda Restaurant
Niche Coffee + Tea Company
Park And Province
R Squared Cafe
Smoque N' Bones
Street Shak Caribbean Kitchen
Stuart Jackson Gallery
The County General
The Cure Apothecary
The Spice Trader & Olive Pit
TOMA Burger Addiction
Visual Eyes Optical


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And annually during this time, economists pay close attention to the shopping trends.
One such economist, Dr Paul Albanese, Kent State University associate professor of marketing and author of The Personality Continuum and Consumer Behavior, has taken it a step further. Albanese examined shopping behavior and classified it into four levels of personality development: Normal, neurotic, primitive and psychotic.
"Normal consumers spend less than they earn and save for future purchases they cannot afford in the future, while neurotic shoppers spend an excessive amount of time shopping, often not buying anything," says Albanese. In addition, he found that compulsive shoppers usually fall within the primitive personality type, while psychotic personalities go overboard in spending, usually resulting in serious financial and legal problems.
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SCAM ARTISTS USING FORGED LETTERHEAD TO CON CALIFORNIANS
California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. is warning consumers that scam artists are using the forged letterhead of major lenders to con worried Californians into paying thousands of dollars for non-existent loan modification services."Californians should be deeply skeptical of anyone who demands money up front and makes extravagant promises that they can save their home," Brown said.
Steps consumers can take to protect themselves from loan modification fraud are available at http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1697&.
Complaints may be filed with the Attorney General's Office at:
Office of the Attorney General - Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, CA 94244,
or online at http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php.
According to FHM, Kim Lee is one of the top 100 sexiest women in the world. She was born on May 22, 1988 in the US. Her mother is Viet...
Last November, a Viet kieu in hi tech business finally settled down and married his long time girlfriend. It was a private wedding attend...
Kieu Hoang, 69, the owner of RAAS Group debuts recently on the 2014 Forbes Billionaires List after the shares of one of his companies, ...


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"Price rise" is like a "double-edged sword"
over the past few years, TV prices have been falling, but prices have "soared" in recent months. The reason is that recently, the prices of various industrial raw materials have soared, especially subject to the wide-ranging rise in the prices of copper, steel, plastics and other raw materials, and finally chose to absorb the pressure of rising costs by raising prices
however, the price rise is like a "double-edged sword", which makes end consumers complain, but makes LCD panels and other industries in the upper reaches of the industrial chain earn a lot
the rising price of raw materials is the main reason
since the second half of 2016, the home appliance industry has faced greater pressure to increase prices. The prices of raw materials such as copper, aluminum, steel and LCD panels have risen, forcing home appliance enterprises to choose to increase prices
take Internet TV as an example. When announcing the price increase on February 27, LETV said that due to the lack of panel supply in the upstream supply chain, the panel price continued to rise too fast, the purchase cost of components and other comprehensive factors, the amount of ecological subsidy hardware for a single TV continued to increase
as for the rise in TV prices, Li Yaqin, deputy general manager of Qunzhi consulting, pointed out in an interview with "the prospect of daily economic progress is very decadent". First, the panel price has increased significantly in this round and lasted longer than expected. In the past, the price rise and fall was from half a year to three quarters, which was quite regular, but this round of price rise basically started from the second quarter of 2016, and so far some sizes are still rising. Judging from the price rise time of the whole panel, it has been almost a year; Secondly, in the domestic market, the entry-level 40 inch and 43 inch prices have increased by more than 60% since they began to rise, while the large sizes such as 55 inch and 65 inch have increased by about 21% to 22%. In general, such a large increase is indeed a great pressure on the profits of color TV manufacturers
Li Yaqin said that in this round of price increases, no brand can be spared. He just said that the increase depends on the affordability. According to Li Yaqin, color TV manufacturers are losing money on 40 inch TVs. Therefore, color TV manufacturers adopt two directions to adjust their profits: one is the collective transformation to a profitable high-end; First, price increases. In addition to panels, the semiconductors of TVs are mainly DDR and EMMC, which have increased by 30% - 40% since the fourth quarter of last year, and DDR even tripled
insiders of a domestic panel manufacturer also told that as the price of TV panels accounts for 60% to 70% of the price of the whole machine, the rise in the price of panels has led to the rise in the price of TV launched by the brand of the whole machine, and Internet TV is no exception
according to the price monitoring of the business club, the average increase in the price of plastic products since the third quarter of 2016 is 4. 92%, of which the PVC price increased by 25 year-on-year. 79%, ABS prices rose 13 year-on-year. 67%, and the price of PP also increased by 1 year-on-year. 39%, which are the main plastic raw materials used in the manufacturing of household appliances
according to the salesperson of a well-known household appliance brand in China, "the prices of raw materials of household appliances are rising across the board, not only the prices of copper, zinc, aluminum and so on, but also the prices of cartons."
from February 13 to February 14, Nine Dragons Paper, a leading paper enterprise, announced that the prices of Taicang nine dragons, Dongguan Nine Dragons Kraft linerboard and corrugated paper increased by 200 yuan/ton, and many paper enterprises in Fuyang whiteboard base announced that the prices of finished paper increased by 100 to 150 yuan/ton at the same time. This is the third round of price increase of base paper since February
Southwest Securities (6.950, -0.02, -0.29%) recently released a research report on the home appliance industry, which showed that the prices of copper, aluminum and plastic, the main raw materials of home appliances, increased significantly in 2016, stimulating the cost rise of the home appliance industry chain. After a period of adjustment, PPI gradually transmitted to CPI, the atmosphere of price war in the air conditioning market gradually dissipated, and the terminal price began to rise. "We expect that in the first half of 2017, the terminal price of air conditioning will increase slowly, and the increase in terminal price will offset the pressure brought by the rising cost and improve the profitability of the industry. At the same time, the terminal price increase will objectively help promote industrial upgrading."
there are not a few people who share the same view with Southwest Securities. Chen Jianmi, a researcher at Shanghai Securities, also pointed out in the investment strategy report that commodity prices are global pricing. Benefiting from the global economic recovery, the US CPI exceeded expectations, and the price of raw materials will rise more or fall less in the future. In addition, the cycle of copper price rise to air conditioning products is about 6 months, and copper accounts for more than 20% of the cost of air conditioning. Copper prices have soared since early November last year, and the entire air conditioning industry will rise again from March to April. At present, copper has broken through the previous high at the end of November, and the price rise will continue to be transmitted
hongshibin also told that in addition to bulk commodities, the state now pays more and more attention to environmental protection, and the cost of environmental protection should also be considered for spare parts of household appliances such as plastics and cartons
panel enterprises become big winners
the price rise is like a "double-edged sword". On the one hand, it brings painful reactions to the consumer side, but on the other hand, Dr. Deakin has begun to use graphene materials, which also means that the mineral, chemical and metal casting industries will further stabilize. According to the data released by the National Bureau of statistics, in January 2017, industrial producer prices (PPI) rose for the fifth consecutive month, with a year-on-year increase of 6. 9%, the largest increase since August 2011. In addition, the National Bureau of statistics also pointed out that industries such as petroleum processing, ferrous and non-ferrous metal smelting and processing, chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing affected PPI by about 5% year-on-year. 7%。
"daily economy" noted that in this round of rising prices, enterprises producing panels have become big winners
as one of the world's largest LCD panel manufacturers, South Korea's lgdisplay company released its financial report for the fourth quarter of 2016 at the end of January, which showed that the company achieved an operating profit of 904.3 billion won in the quarter, and its revenue in the quarter increased by 18% year-on-year to 7. 9 trillion won. It is worth mentioning that due to the rise in panel prices, lgdisplay's operating profit in the quarter almost doubled year-on-year, setting a record high profit
looking at the domestic market, BOE technology group, a liquid crystal panel manufacturer (hereinafter referred to as "BOE a (3.220, 0.01, 0.31%)"), has turned losses into profits. According to the financial report released by BOE a, the company achieved revenue of 264 in the first half of 2016. 4.8 billion yuan, an increase of 15% over the same period last year. 14%； The net profit attributable to the shareholders of the listed company is -5. 1.6 billion yuan, but in the third quarter of 2016, the company achieved operating income of 193. 9.4 billion yuan, with a net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies of 6. 5.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1494. 35%。
tcl group (3.620, 0.00, 0.00%) released the third quarter report of 2016, which showed that the group achieved an operating revenue of 776 in the first three quarters. 900 million yuan, an increase of 4. 83%； Realize net profit 20. RMB 400million, net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies 15. 400million yuan, benefiting from the improvement of performance in the third quarter, the year-on-year decline was significantly narrowed. TCL achieved a net profit of 12% in the third quarter. 500 million yuan, an increase of 140 year-on-year. 3%； Net profit attributable to shareholders of listed company 9. 3.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 110. 4%。 TCL group said that benefiting from the significant improvement of the performance of csot and multimedia in the third quarter, the year-on-year decline in the performance of the group in the first three quarters narrowed significantly. According to the data, with the recovery of LCD panel prices and the improvement of production capacity and efficiency, csot achieved a net profit of 7% in the third quarter. 7.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 40. 1%。
according to the "2016 third quarter report review of the household appliance industry" released by Changjiang Securities (10.270, -0.03, -0.29%), the main business of the household appliance sector in the first three quarters increased by 9% year-on-year. 12%, with an increase of 20% in three quarters. 60%, significantly increasing the growth rate of main businesses month on month. It is expected that the overall growth rate of main businesses in the industry in the fourth quarter is expected to continue to improve under the background of a low base. In addition, the net profit attributable to the industry in the first three quarters increased by 20% year-on-year. 44%, with an increase of 32 in the third quarter. 91%, generally speaking, it is better than the market expectation; Among them, white electricity accounted for the highest proportion, while the modulus of glass fiber reinforced materials was between 20 and 24 GPA, and the performance in the first three quarters increased by 14 year-on-year. 97%。
insiders of the above panel manufacturing enterprises told that the rise of panels was on the one hand affected by the adjustment of production lines by panel suppliers. In order to expand the production capacity of AMOLED panels, Samsung closed plant L in December 2016, and this production line accounted for about 15% of Samsung's overall LCD panel production capacity and 3% of the global production capacity, resulting in the increasingly serious problem of LCD panel supply and demand; On the other hand, the global LCD TV panel market will continue to develop in the direction of large-size, and large-size panels above 45 inches are expected to maintain more than 5% 7 Be sure to turn off the power switch when exchanging the head mold; With the growth of TV, the upgrade of TV size also needs to consume more panels. From 32 inches to 65 inches, the panel price generally rose, with an increase of $10 to $60. Most panel manufacturers in the upstream supply chain increased their prices unanimously
in addition, Great Wall Securities released a research report on February 8, which pointed out that the actual supply of the panel industry has not increased in the short term. Without a significant decline in the demand side, the tight supply and demand situation of the industry will continue, and the mainstream panel price will continue to rise in the first quarter of 2017


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After releasing an official carrier update for iPhone customers, U.S. wireless operator T-Mobile has pulled all traces of the software from the web, leading to speculation that said update was posted prematurely.
T-Mobile Carrier Update Version 6.1 was reportedly released this weekend for all unlocked iPhone customers.
Available to all eligible iPhones using a T-Mobile SIM card, the update was said to enables Visual Voicemail, and a 4G status indicator.
Also planned for this update was Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS); AWS LTE (T-Mobile and officially unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 only); HD Voice (T-Mobile and officially unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 only); AWS HSPA+ (T-Mobile and new 2013 AT&T iPhone 5 only).
Additionally, the carrier update included new MMS Settings, Personal Hotspot settings (Smartphone Mobile Hotspot), APN settings for LTE connectivity, a new feature called “My Account bookmark,” and battery life improvements (as a result of network/device optimizations).
T-Mobile had posted the following prerequisites for its new update:
"T-Mobile iPhone or any officially unlocked GSM iPhone;
Latest iOS software version;
Device software is not jailbroken;
50% battery life or connected to a power source;
Data connection or a computer with iTunes and internet access;
Minimum of 1 MB available memory (File size of update is ~10 KB)."
However, as soon as the word was out that T-Mobile had officially released this carrier update, the operator quickly pulled the announcement (along with the release notes) from its forums.
It is unclear whether iPhone 5 customers are receiving the update OTA (over the air), but at this point T-Mobile is yet to clarify what happened. The consensus among mobile blogs and media outlets is that the update was posted prematurely.


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A record number of delegates took part as SCMAP Visayas mounted the second Sharpening the Supply Chain Practitioners seminar, held last 9 February at the Harolds Hotel in Cebu City.
Around 150 representatives from 45 companies took part, with participants not limited to companies in Visayas – there were attendees coming from Manila and various cities in Mindanao, looking to hear unique perspectives on supply chain fundamentals, trends and challenges.
Allan Flores of Monde Nissin Philippines channeled his decades of experience with supply chain for FMCGs to tackle agile supply chains, and how companies can ensure their operations are flexible and responsive.
Providing an engineer’s perspective is Nestor Dolina of the Adsia Group of Companies, who took a deep dive into warehousing and transportation concerns, outlining the importance of data mining and analysis in making decisions about capacity-building and fleet management.
Rounding out the event was LF Logistics’ Carlo Magno, who illustrated the impact of innovation and digitization on the supply chain, providing a glimpse into the future – or, arguably, the now.
The half-day event showed SCMAP’s continuing commitment to advancing supply chain across the Philippines, and particularly the Visayas chapter’s goals of bringing world class supply chain perspectives to local audiences. The chapter, which was founded five years ago, now boasts 41 members among companies based in Cebu.
The event was sponsored by LF Logistics, Tritek Reverse Logistics, IJ Transport and Spark88.


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HYUNDAI IMPROVES IN J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES VEHICLE DEPENDABILITY STUDY
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., March 18, 2010 – Hyundai significantly reduced problems per 100 vehicles and gained ground in the rankings of the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS). Hyundai ranked number 11 among nameplates in the long-term quality study, four rank positions above industry average and up three rank positions over 2009. The Hyundai overall score was 148 problems per 100 vehicles, seven problems fewer than the industry average, and nine fewer than last year. Hyundai is one of six mainstream brands that J.D. Power and Associates highlighted as being significantly better than the non-premium average. Tucson (Compact Multi-Activity Vehicle) and Accent (Sub-Compact Car) both finished in the top three in their respective categories.
The VDS results continue Hyundai’s momentum in J.D. Power and Associates quality rankings. Hyundai was the highest ranked non-premium nameplate in the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) and ranked fourth among all nameplates.
“Quality is our number one priority and customers have come to expect that Hyundai vehicles will measure up to the best in the industry,” said Frank Ferrara, executive vice president, corporate planning and customer satisfaction. “Hyundai backs its cars with a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty to signal our partnership with buyers in their vehicle purchase. We aim to raise the bar for the industry not only in quality off the showroom floor, but after years of driving as well.”
The 2010 VDS study measures problem symptoms of three-year-old vehicles primarily in categories such as vehicle exterior, driving experience, features/controls/displays, audio/entertainment/navigation, seats, HVAC, interior, engine and transmission. The VDS is one of three J.D. Power and Associates quality studies, along with the Initial Quality Study (IQS) that measures quality after 90 days of ownership, and the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study that measures customer perceptions on the design, content, layout and performance of their new vehicles.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through almost 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program which now includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-year complimentary Roadside Assistance in addition to the highly acclaimed vehicle return policy introduced in early 2009. For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com.
# # #
Journalists are invited to visit our news media web site: www.hyundainews.com


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Running low? You’ll never know.
Amazon on Tuesday announced the availability of the first smart devices compatible with its auto-order service, Amazon Dash Replenishment.
According to Amazon, the service allows compatible smart devices to automatically order necessary supplies from the online retailer when stock is running low. The service allows consumers to select their preorder preferences ahead of time, and the device notifies Amazon to send replacements before supplies run out.
Among the first devices to utilize the service will be select Brother printers, a GE washer and the Gmate SMART blood glucose monitor. Purell soap and the Whirlpool Smart Dishwasher have also joined the program to incorporate the service into their product offerings. Compatible devices from Samsung, Brita, Whirlpool, August, Oster, Obe, Petnet, Clever Pet, Sutro, Thync and Sealed Air are also expected.
“With Amazon Dash Replenishment, we want to make customers’ lives even easier so they won’t run out of items like laundry detergent, pet food or printer ink again,” said Amazon Devices director Daniel Rausch. “Customers simply activate Dash Replenishment when they are setting up their connected device and then rely on Amazon to automatically deliver those everyday essentials.”
Rausch said the service will be available to consumers starting immediately and Amazon expects to add new devices to the program throughout the year.
According to Tuesday’s press release, the Dash Replenishment APIs are available for integration into any device that can connect to the internet. The appropriate code is available on Amazon’s website.


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News from Sika regarding its 2020 financial results and an upcoming leadership transition drew the most reader interest last week (Sika Announces 2020 Financial Results, Taps Hasler to Succeed Schuler in May): “Sika recently announced its 2020 financial results, including sales of approximately CHF 7.9 billion (~ $8.8 billion). This represents a 2.9% decline in CHF and a 3.4% increase in local currencies. The company reports that its 2020 fiscal year was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a number of severe effects for the construction and automotive sectors.
“CEO Paul Schuler said, ‘For our success in the challenging market environment of the last fiscal year, we must thank our employees in particular. Their strong customer focus and impressive dedication coupled with our successful business model made a significant contribution to the Group's resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly crisis-resistant in 2020 were the distribution business and our refurbishment business. In the future, the strong growth in demand for environmentally-friendly products will make a further contribution to our positive business development. Sika is the global leader in solutions for sustainable construction and sustainable mobility. Already today, a large part of our sales is generated by technologies that provide sustainability benefits for customers, the environment, and society.’”
Do you have news to share with the industry? Please send your press releases to me at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Top 5 News that Sticks for February 28 - March 6
- Sika Announces 2020 Financial Results, Taps Hasler to Succeed Schuler in May
- Bostik Aims to Strengthen Brazilian Adhesives Business with Poliplas Acquisition
- Avery Dennison to Acquire JDC Solutions third week in Top 5!
- LANXESS to Acquire Emerald Kalama Chemical
- Ashland Reports Solid Performance in First 2021 Fiscal Quarter
This weekly roundup highlights the adhesives, sealants, and coatings-related news stories that garnered the most attention during the previous week on our website, as well as our eNewsletters and social media platforms.


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Restaurant Industry Trends (2019)
The trend-driven nature of restaurants means that restaurant owners and operators are often forced to look up from their long to-do lists and keep a pulse on what’s happening in the industry. For those who don’t have the time to do their own research, here are key trends that will leave an impression on the industry.
Rise of Online Ordering
According to the National Restaurant Association, 3 in 5 consumers order delivery or takeout at least once a week. Delivery sales could rise an annual average of more than 20% to $365 billion worldwide by 2030, from $35 billion according to investment bank UBS. A recent study conducted by CHD Expert shows that restaurants will see this revenue from a variety of venues:
- Pick-up: $124 billion
- Direct delivery from a restaurant: $32 billion
- Delivery from a 3rd party delivery company: $13 billion
While direct delivery from restaurants still reigns supreme, the crowded 3rd party space is getting creative with their approach to attract new diners to their platforms. According to Restaurant Business, subscription models that eliminate per-delivery fees in favor of a flat-rate subscription will emerge to present a clearer value proposition for consumers. This could provide a true competitive edge for 3rd party delivery that need to make an impression on those interested in ordering delivery.
Experimenting with Dining Experiences
For decades, quality of food and service has been at the center of the restaurant industry. With so many establishments making great food and providing exceptional service, what are restaurants doing to set themselves apart?
The industry will continue to move toward out-of-the-box experiences for consumers. Long gone are the days of typical two-for-one meals and happy hours. Restaurants are now pushed to ask themselves what they can do to offer diners an experience that they’ll never forget.
In response to the typical restaurant week that diners have grown tired of, year after year, reservation company, Resy, has partnered with Capital One to create Off Menu Week. This new program will take place in 6 major U.S. cities, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Austin; it will offer customers an unconventional behind-the-scenes experience at their favorite restaurant.
For one week only, iconic eateries and neighborhood mainstays will serve experimental new concepts, off menu secrets, or a one-hit wonder that never made it to the menu. Capital One members will have first access to these reservations, making this first-of-its-kind experience an exclusive concept.
Consumers Spend Consciously
The word transparency holds a different meaning than it has in recent years. Instead of simply sharing the local farm where you buy your beef and chicken, guests are interested in a well-rounded transparency message beyond sourcing details.
This multi-faceted approach starts with manufacturers and operators, which Restaurant Business expects will have guests demanding full transparency on pricing by revealing true net costs and unbundled costs; corporate performance, by emphasizing fair trade, diversity, living wages, and executive compensation; and the planet, by publicizing their real environmental impact, conservation initiatives, and progressive stance on animal welfare.
Restaurants should expect to see more guests flock to businesses that are operating with the planet in mind. A reduction of plastic utensils or Styrofoam takeout containers is only the beginning. Zero waste kitchens and an increase in plant-based menu items will attract conscious consumers that are willing to spend their hard-earned cash in like-minded establishments.
Wellness Warriors Enter the Industry
While functional foods have been all the rage in the wellness industry, they have recently gone mainstream in the restaurant industry. Data from approximately 9,000 Upserve guests revealed a 149% increase in fermented foods and a 99% increase in CBD on menus last year, setting up this year as the year of functional foods and drinks.
Functional ingredients that are naturally present in foods, like the gut-healthy probiotics in kombucha or calming derivative in CBD oil, have consumers interested in healing from the inside with every meal.
Despite the lack of knowledge from consumers, kombucha has managed to grow in popularity. Fully Rooted started wholesaling their products late last year, selling to local restaurants, cafes, and small businesses.
Cultivating Culture to Fight Team Turnover
With the restaurant industry turnover rate hovering around 73%, we need to get serious about restaurant environments. One hospitality group in Pennsylvania developed specific mentoring programs to tackle this issue. High Street Hospitality offers tools for career growth for all levels at its restaurants, such as mentoring, training, and formal coaching programs. It’s great you make people know you are there to support them.
This progress in the restaurant industry means that owners and managers will feel the pressure to put culture first and offer their team members benefits, a stable environment and opportunities for growth.
The Restaurant Tech Takeover
As restaurants strive to provide a frictionless experience for consumers, restaurant technology companies are aiming to do to the same for restaurant operators. All-in-one restaurant management platforms have become a valuable tool for restaurant owners and managers to integrate point-of-sale, analytics, online ordering, inventory management, and more, allowing them more time to pay attention to their guests and watch for emerging trends that could make their business the next big thing.
To keep up with new demands, upgrading your restaurant management platform will be a top priority. You need to seriously consider a cloud-based restaurant management platform that boasts point-of-sale, inventory, online ordering, loyalty programs, a mobile application and payment processing.
- Keeping up with Restaurant Industry Trends
While some aspects of the industry are evergreen, trends are always on the horizon and the most successful restaurants seek out ways to stay ahead of the competition. By keeping up with new and emerging trends, restaurant owners and operators have the opportunity to offer their guests new experiences as well as attract new diners.
A. Read restaurant industry blogs
There are hundreds and possibly thousands of restaurant industry blogs that are eagerly waiting to be read. Pick those that offer you the best insights on the latest industry trends.
B. Stay active on social media
With 77% of the population active on social media today, there is no better place to keep up with trends than bustling platforms of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Restaurant owners and their guests are constantly sharing their experiences, giving you access to millions of emerging experiences and food and beverage trends.
C. Network with other restaurant owners and operators
Although social media gives you great access, sometimes the best knowledge comes from staying connected by networking with restaurant owners and operators around you.


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Sports fans evolve their watching style
iTunes. It may look like music. It may sound like music. But it's the new way that many sports fans are watching their favorite games. A video iPod is never going to match a plasma TV with surround sound and a really comfortable easy chair but a lot of sports watchers are turning to iTunes to download games in a more portable format. "This is all about more and more choices," said Eddy Cue, vice president of Apple's iTunes in an online report from WKRN Nashville."Watching a game live on a 50-inch plasma TV is a tough thing to beat. But when you're not in that position, having other choices is going to be something that people want."
The article points out that iTunes offers collectors edition video packages that can't be found anywhere else. "To take advantage of the hype surrounding this year's Michigan-Ohio State game, iTunes put together a collector's edition type of package. For $5.99, customers got the full-length 1973, 1997 and 2002 games, as well as commercials touting the rivalry. After Ohio State beat Michigan, they got this year's matchup."
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While President Donald Trump has touted his America First policy as the road to America’s turnaround, American companies may have a different story to tell, according to The Wall Street Journal. U.S. corporations with significant exposure to overseas markets are thriving amid a world of open borders and free trade. (For more, see also: Trump Bump: Q4 Earnings Numbers Remain Strong.)
During the first quarter, American companies with greater exposure to foreign markets were expected to report earnings growth of 14.9%, more than twice the 6.8% increase expected of more domestically focused firms, according to figures provided by RBC Capital Markets and reported on by the Journal. As a result, companies that do significant business in foreign markets—for example Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google parent Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) and Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)—could enjoy notable growth in share prices.
Alphabet Inc., for example, recently reported quarterly earnings per share that were 29% higher at $7.73, as the company benefited from a sharp increase in advertising on YouTube and also on mobile platforms, according to Reuters. McDonald’s Corp (MCD) also reported strong financial performance, revealing that its earnings per diluted share rose 18% to $1.47 in the first quarter.
Kajal Lahiri, a distinguished Professor at University at Albany, State University of New York, commented on this situation during an interview with Investopedia. “Companies that do relatively more business overseas have fared better in their earnings last quarter than companies that are more domestic.” He noted that several companies—including Apple and Caterpillar—have reported double-digit earnings growth so far. “This is because the economic activity in the U.S. has slowed down but has accelerated overseas,” Lahiri told Investopedia.
A Potential Tailwind
Stephan Unger, an assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, spoke to the U.S. dollar’s potential near-term headwinds that could prove beneficial to American companies that do significant business overseas. (For more, see also: Interesting Facts About Imports and Exports.)
“Due to the delay in an interest rate increase by the Fed, the U.S. dollar is likely to weaken within the next couple of months, which will support export oriented companies in increasing their revenues,” he said during an interview with Investopedia. “One has to keep an eye on the Fed’s June meeting.”
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By Lynne Nolan
UAE group captures a significant presence in Singapore's retail market.
The UAE's Al-Futtaim Group has won control of Singapore's department store chain Robinson and Company (RCL).
The group, which made a cash bid through its investment arm Al-Futtaim Global Private Limited (ALF Global), has secured 88% of the shares of RCL.
RCL operates renowned department and specialty stores including Robinsons, John Little, Marks & Spencer, Principles, Trucco, River Island and Fat Face in Singapore and Malaysia.
The acquisition establishes Al-Futtaim Group as a significant presence in one of the most buoyant economies in the Southeast Asia region.
ALF Global's move to raise its offer price to S$7.20 won over a majority of RCL's shareholders and earlier in the week the group was able to formally announce the offer had become unconditional.
The S$0.20 increase represents a marginal shift from the S$7 a share price set in March. The offer opened at an initial S$6.25 a share when the bid was launched in January.
By the beginning of the week ALF Global had secured in excess of 88% of RCL's shares. In its official announcement to the Singapore Exchange, ALF Global confirmed it had extended the closing date for the offer to April 30, from April 3.
James Gillespie McCallum, director of ALF Global, said: "This is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the RCL story.
"We look forward to working with the Company's management to explore areas where RCL can leverage the Al-Futtaim group's retail expertise to further expand its platform in the region.
"RCL has strong brand equity and an enviable heritage of meeting and exceeding customers' expectations. We fully intend to continue with and surpass this proud tradition."
The acquisition of Singapore's oldest retailer represents a significant step for Al-Futtaim Group and signals its determination to extend its operations beyond its core GCC and MENA market and into Southeast Asia and neighbouring regions.
ALF Global has been allocated a key role in establishing the group as an investment partner and owner for top tier businesses and leading brands in the South-east Asia region.
Acquisition of RCL demonstrates its determination to partner with the very best businesses in the region. Stephen Riady, executive director of Auric Pacific Group Limited, a major stakeholder in RCL, said: "We are leaving RCL in good hands and the improved offer at S$7.20 represents a ‘win-win' for all parties."
"We believe the Al-Futtaim Group understands and appreciates the RCL tradition and business and will be able to add significant value."
Standard Chartered Plc and Baker & McKenzie Wong & Leow, Singapore, have advised ALF Global.For all the latest retail news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.


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Ferrari stock debut
NEW YORK: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is planning a US stock debut for Ferrari that values the luxury Italian sports carmaker at nearly $10 billion, according to a filing with US regulators on Friday. Ferrari, of the famed ‘prancing stallion’ logo, will make its first steps on Wall Street, expected in late October, after years of rumours. In its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), FCA said it is offering to sell 17.2 million common shares of Ferrari, or about nine per cent of its capital. The estimated offering price of the shares was between $48 and $52. The initial public offering could raise up to $893.1 million, valuing the automaker at $9.92 billion.


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The title says it all and you may have already heard about it, but if not were here to spread the news. Apple is suing Amazon.com in efforts to block the company from using the name “App Store” on their site. Apple was the original source and creator of the “App Store” and they want to remain that way.
Here is a statement Apple has made directed towards Amazon. “We’ve asked Amazon not to copy the App Store name because it will confuse and mislead customers.” Amazon apparently didn’t listen and went on and launced their own “Amazon Appstore” for Android phones and tablets on Tuesday of last week. Apple said in the court filing they actually contacted Amazon three times to demand that it cease using the name and that Amazon hadn’t “provided a substantive response.”
Sources state that Apple has applied to trademark the “App Store” name in the US but Microsoft is actually fighting the bid. Why would they do that?
Apple is not stepping down from accusing Amazon.com of trademark infringement and unfair competition. The current open case is Apple Inc. v. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), 11-1327, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.
What do you geeks think? Is it right for Apple to file this lawsuit against Amazon? Let us know what you think!


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Every month we present the biggest new developments in the world of social media so you can stay the cutting-edge of the industry.
1. Twitter Launches ‘Fleets’
2020 has undoubtedly been the year of stories. It was only a matter of time until Twitter joined Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest in having their own version of stories.
Twitter Fleets officially launched worldwide last week. Although the name looks to differentiate it from its rival platforms, Fleets has all the standard stories features. A 24-hr time frame, the ability to customise with text and effects and only visible to your followers.
Twitter says Fleets is for sharing ‘momentary thoughts’ that would otherwise remain as draft tweets. In many ways, this is what Twitter is already about – short, snappy bites of content. This new feature looks to enhance the audio-visual qualities of Twitter, no doubt inspired by the popularity of TikTok and IG Stories.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on Fleets. Twitter has never had the ‘playful’ nature of rivals such as Instagram, focusing more on breaking news stories over creative content. It’s too early to say whether Fleets will be ‘one stories feature too many’ or another valuable tool for social media marketers.
Check out our blog piece on the rise of stories if you’d like to learn how this format took over the world.
2. Instagram Tweaks the Homepage
Love it or loathe it, it’s here to stay. This month Instagram users opened the app to find the entire homepage has been modified:
‘Reels’ and ‘Shopping’ have replaced the ‘Create’ and ‘Notifications’ buttons, which have been moved to the top right next to ‘Messages’. The Camera button has been removed.
It’s not difficult to see what the motivation was behind these changes. Instagram are making Reels front and center. IG Shopping has also been provided its own interface, presented as a shoppable news feed.
We wrote about Reels a short while back. Instagram’s TikTok clone has been steadily growing in popularity and this move will only boost it further. Many social media developments in 2020 have revolved around ‘social commerce’. It’s viewed as the next big revenue stream for platforms. TikTok recently announced a partnership with Shopify. Instagram has responded by making Reels and IG Shopping more accessible. Both are competing for the same demographics. This rivalry will only intensify as time goes on.
Personally, we feel the new UI is cluttered. Instagram is trying to replicate the success of WeChat in China – a one-stop app for everything from entertainment to shopping. But Instagram will struggle to make this a reality without a complete overhaul of the app, which would receive fierce backlash from fans.
3. Snapchat Introduces Spotlight
Snapchat has struggled to stay culturally relevant in recent years. Instagram Stories and TikTok would not be the worldwide phenomena they are today if it wasn’t for the original innovators of the Stories format. Now the tables have turned, and it’s Snapchat who is taking inspiration from them.
Yesterday, Snapchat launched a new function called ‘Spotlight’ – a dedicated place within the app that lets users watch short, vertical videos in a feed that’s remarkably similar to TikTok:
Spotlight features videos from both public and private accounts (if you choose to). It’s accessible via a new fifth button at the bottom of Snapchat’s UI:
Like Instagram, Snapchat are trying to claw back users’ attention from TikTok by prominently displaying their Spotlight in the app. As a result, social media is starting to look homogeneous. Now that every major platform has Stories, will they all produce their own TikTok clones? It’s a question of whether this style of content will be suitable for Twitter or LinkedIn, both of which have an older user base.
As for Snapchat, it feels like they’re clutching at straws, adopting rival platforms’ most popular features to prevent users jumping ship. Nevertheless it’s still an extremely popular service and should be considered in your paid social strategy if you’re already familiar with Stories Ads.
4. New Google Branding
Last month Google rebranded Google Suite, which includes Gmail, Docs, Meet and Sheets, to Google Workshop. This is part of their ongoing effort to compete with Microsoft Office as an all-in-one suite for your virtual office needs.
More recently, Google Workshop’s logos have undergone a visual overhaul – much to the distaste of users:
One main criticism is that the logos are extremely similar, making it hard to immediately know which service you’re clicking on. The Gmail logo in particular has bore most of the brunt, as it no longer resembles an envelope. This could be an attempt by Google to ‘modernise’ the iconography of email. Much like the floppy disk, the envelope harks back to a time before the internet. A time that is not relatable to younger users.
While we don’t think Google’s new logos are perfect, we can appreciate how they’ve attempted to invigorate dying iconography and promote cohesion across their suite of apps.
5. Rupert Grint Becomes The Fastest IG User to 1 Million Followers
It was only two months ago that we announced Sir David Attenborough had broken the world record. Now, that record has been bested by Rupert Grint. The Harry Potter star acquired 1 million followers in just over 4 hours, beating Sir Attenborough by 45 minutes.
Rupert’s first post, introducing his new-born daughter, achieved a staggering 3.2 million likes and 110k comments:
A lesson to be learned from this is the power of community. The Harry Potter franchise has become one of the most beloved in the world, with countless Facebook groups, Instagram pages and fan-made websites dedicated to the wizarding world.Whilst we don’t expect you to achieve a million followers in 4 hours, you should be using your brand personality to attract and create a loyal fanbase.


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THE German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) recently welcomed the passage of amendments to the Retail Business Liberalization Act (RTLA), or Republic Act (RA) 11595, which simplifies and relaxes restrictions for foreign retailers wishing to establish a presence in the Philippines.
The law signed amends certain provisions of the RTLA of 2000 (RA 8762), which lowers the capitalization requirements for foreign holdings from $2.5 million (125 million pesos) to approximately $500,000 (25 million pesos) .
“We welcome the enactment of this historic reform,” said Christopher Zimmer, Executive Director of the GPCCI. “As the law addresses existing barriers to investment, we see huge opportunities for foreign retailers to participate in the Philippine market, and it will also help us further promote the country as an attractive investment destination. .”
In addition, the qualification requirements set by the previous law have also been simplified by removing the required net worth, number of existing retail branches and retail history conditions. The law also requires the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as well as the National Economic Development Authority to review the minimum paid-up capital required every three years.
“Passing the RTLA is a step in the right direction towards the country’s economic recovery,” said GPCCI Chairman Stefan Schmitz. “To realize its full potential, we urge the Philippine government to pass the other economic bills, such as the amendments to the Foreign Investment Law and the Civil Service Law, as [they complement] the RTLA to further open up the Philippine economy.
The GPCCI belongs to the international network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, or AHK, represented by 140 offices in 92 countries. GPCCI is the official representation of German companies in the Philippines, which is a bilateral organization with approximately 300 members, as well as a service provider for companies in their market entry and expansion.


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Part of Kent's rail heritage is to return to the town where it first operated in 1830.
A new Co-op has opened in the centre of town containing a post office.
A man who killed a cyclist after driving into him in his van while over the drink drive limit has had his sentence extended.
Work is set to start on a harbour-side restaurant made of recycled shipping containers, which is due to open by the summer.
A dog breeder has appeared in court after five dead puppies destined for the tip were found strewn across a country lane by a distressed passerby.
Cafe customers have been generously supporting an initiative that seeks to help the 'hidden hungry'.
A supermarket manager has avoided jail after stealing thousands of pounds from his employer to "buy friends".
Still loved-up Roxy talks about her love life, clothing line - and the bizarre death of her pet ostrich, Keith.
A handwritten letter put in a bottle and sent out to sea by a 10-year-old girl has been found washed up in the Netherlands.
Organisers confirm thousands of pounds of debt remain, despite a local campaign which raised more than £22,000 to save town's Christmas lights.
A bank which shut as part of a nationwide closure programme could soon become a "high-end" nightspot.
Train services ground to a halt this morning after a lorry hit a bridge - one of the most frequently struck bridges in Kent.
This overgrown piece of land off a Kent beach could be the perfect spot for a seaside home - but it comes with a hefty price tag.
Customers have been turned away from a major foodstore after a power failure.
Strong smell of gas continues to waft across residential area - including a secondary school - as engineers seek to fix problem.
The owner of a popular town centre bakery plans to sell his business after almost 30 years of trade.
Police have arrested a teenager after an elderly man was alerted when the cost of roof repairs soared ten times.
Four men have been charged with the theft of perfume and aftershave worth more than £1,500 from a chemist.
Two new superstores are set to open on an out-of-town retail park - much to the dismay of high street traders.
Each week we carry a reader’s picture that really catches our eye - and 2017 gave us some real crackers!
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